EvainSicily

Yesterday I was at the street market in  my Ortigia and I ate a  wonderful  caponata When  it was served at my table that marvellous vision reminded me the description given by Andea Camilleri in one of the episodes of his popular Inspector: " The moment he opened the refrigerator, he saw it.  Caponata! Fragrant, colourful, abundant, it filled an entire soup dish, enough for at least four people. It had been months since Adelina, his housekeeper, last made it for him. The bread, in its plastic bag, was fresh, bought this morning. The notes of the triumphal march of Aida came spontaneously, naturally, to his lips. Humming, he opened the French windows after turning the light one the veranda. Yes, it was a cool night, but still warm enough to eat outside. He set the little table, brought the dish, the wine, and the bread outside, and sat down " (Excursion to Tindari, Andrea Camilleri) There were three Dutch tourists reading  carefully th...

Donne siciliane.... (di Paola Mentuccia) (ANSA) - ROMA, 23 NOV  16- "Non è stata una storia di vanità, è stata una storia di vita". Letizia Battaglia ha iniziato a scattare foto per pagare l'affitto di un appartamento a Milano, quando collaborava come freelance per il quotidiano di Palermo L'Ora. "Avevo una macchina fotografica e ho raccontato quello che c'era intorno a me". Quella "scatola magica", come lei la definisce, le ha permesso di entrare nelle case, di raccontare la vita più intima delle persone e la storia dell'Italia, di essere testimone dei più cruenti fatti di mafia, della condizione delle donne e di trasmettere al mondo intero il suo tenero sguardo nei confronti dell'umanità...

Erice's style from tradition to innovation... De Simone

 never mix the white with black! (walking through the streets in Agrigento)

  Did you know that the preservation and commercialization of tuna under olive oil was experimented in Sicily at the Florio tuna fishery in Favignana? Here also the first cans  of tuna with key opening...

Archaelogical Museum Baglio di St. Anselmo - Marsala                                   Tessera Hospitali s two ivory hands holding and a Greek  inscription on the other side about a token of friendship between a Greek and a Punic signed in the ancient Lilibeo in the Roman times no matter if the greek inscription has some grammar mistakes this promise of friendship is sacred as friendship is sacred

Islamic art Museum at Zisa Palace- Palermo This is a superb piece that shows  how multicultural, multilingual was Sicily in the XII century still at the times of Roger II's A marble funeral inscription for a Christian lady  written in four different languages including their  different calendars dating systems : Arabic-Jewish in the uppe part Latin on the left Greek on thew right   Arabic in the lower part That's why I like to say we feel Mediterranean........ I dedicate it  as a symbol of tollerance  and integration among people  to all the thousands  men, women and children looking for a new and better life  coming as illegal immigrants in Sicily

Experience Sicily: have a good breakfast!  

various transports - La Zisa in Palermo -

an authentic atmosphere! it's necessary for  a good welcome!

 (by doing it yourself) On the doors in a house in Ortigia: Don't park your car, your motorbike your mother in law your bike I'd like to open and shut the doors!  Thanks!!!

 up above  this is what it's in my shower box today: baking soda x shampoo vinegard x hair conditioner : 1/4 vinegard  and 3/4 water body soap: hand made local olive oil (my auntie's hands made it! ) body and face scrub.: Hyblean honey and sugar: 1/2 honey  and 1/2 sugar face cleaning soap: local olive oil and water: 1/3 oil and 2/3 water  down below what was in my shower box till a few weeks ago: expensive and  chemical stuff

Yesterday this was the way our  Cathedral was dressed! I went through the main gateway with my group of israelian tourists and we were amazed to find that the bride likes PINK An old lady  told me it was a special wedding: HE Italian and SHE a foreigner! DUOMO in ORTIGIA

  For  An evergreen aromatic bathroom!!!  Ringrazio Enrico Russino de Gli Aromi di Scicli per avermi concesso la possibilità di scattare e pubblicare queste fotografie...certa di essere perdonata per la stessa (auto)ironica visione della vita!! ------------------------------------ Thanks to Enrico Russino from GLI AROMI in Scicli for giving me the possibility to take and publish these photoes. I'm sure he will forgive me..sharing the same (self)ironic vison of life!

 There's a place in Sicily, in Scicli, I fell in love with the first time I met Russino family and his great company GLI AROMI As a sicilian, as a tourist guide, as a tourist myself,.each time I go there  it's an explosion of flavours,aroma,colours and above all of emotions.... I confess: Botanic & agronomy is my "tallone di Achille".....and each time I work especially with English people I start trembling.........but I like gardens, plants, flowers so much ........and now I'm learning and learning more ....   What I enjoyed is the professionality, the knowledge, the politeness  and the passion and love you can breathe there......and Enrico is terrific! Enrico Russino in his coffee bar corner....... The sunset at GLI AROMI- Scicli - contrada S.Rosalia  for further informationabout Gli Aromi and other projects and adventures of Russino family: www.gliaromi.it your Summer at GLI AROMI

There's a place in Scicli you MUST visit: CHIAFURE  - it's an old quarter not far from St. Bartolomeo's church that through the centuries was transformed from a necropolis into a village carved into the rock and inhabitated till 1950's.. I had the idea to show it to my sisters a few days ago.But we arrived later and the heat was unbearable! Chiafure it's a pictureque area but you need to walk on very steep little roads..  Then, why not to ask a lift to the fruitseller?  He thought we were tourists (why not?). So my sister asked him and we came back home satisfied and with a chilo of fresh and juicy peaches as a present!  my camera was not charged enough..so sorry no pictures! they'll come after the next excursions..

Do you know that the large quantity of lycopene contained in tomato is released  while cooking it ? This is one of the secrets of Mediterranean  diet : a large use of tomato and fresh tomato sauce as one of the best antioxidant ! Here in Sicily we ( most of us)  still make "i buttigghie ri sarsa" ..fresh tomato sauce bottled for the winter season. I rarely buy tomato sauce bottles at the supermarket.  My next "Tomato-sauce day" I will tell and show you how to make them!

A few days ago I was with a group of American tourists at the archaeological park. We were visiting the greek stonequarries, today beautifully full of lemon trees,when one  lady asked me if you can  can be arrested here in Sicily  after picking lemons !!! I smiled....thinking to the famous scene of JONNY STECCHINO and his troubles with banane in Palermo!!!   ;-)

- How to tell you the story of Sicily? here a short summary of a land of beauty and contraddictions: (I tried an English version): 180 millions years ago among a coral reef Madonie Nebrodi Peloritani and Erei appeared it's hot flora fauna and short elephants Etna came out  from submarine eruptions Stentinello 5000 years ago Sicani defeated by the Siculi Pantalica and the city of deads Sailors and Phenicians  sea urchins and sword fish Naxos and Siracusa theatres carved into the rock Polyphemus and the mermaids Archimedes and his specchi ustori Scilla and Carybdis Punic wars and Roman wheat and gladiators Vandals Ostrogothic and Byzantine Arabs and Normans oranges and lemons scimitars and sheiks irrigations and architecture pottery and cassate Frederick II and the Sicilian poetry school Aragonese and Angevins the first Parliament and the Vespers when the French made us angry then peace treaty at Cal...

  last 19th February -on st.Conrad's day The Infiorata in Noto - May 16th - 17th- 18th  under these beautiful balconies- Via Nicolaci